


Lazarus

by 1Kamiro7



Category: Parahumans Series - Wildbow
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:46:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26211382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1Kamiro7/pseuds/1Kamiro7
Summary: Parahumans get their powers from a symbiote called a shard.Taylor got her powers from contracting Lazarus syndrome.What is Lazarus syndrome? Taylor has no idea, but her new Mentor Valka does.What on Earths has she gotten herself into?
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. Kindling 1:1

**Author's Note:**

> Just started reading worm and couldn't help myself from writing a fic about it.  
> Usual original character madness as always.  
> Please tell me how I can improve my writing, constructive criticism is always welcome.

_Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power._

* * *

A figure stood atop a skyscraper looking over the city that was Brockton Bay, eyes scouring its entirety. She rolled a coin along her fingers to stave off the growing anxiety. What she had been looking for was here, and it was close to activating. Two months of looking, and she was so close, the building up power, ready to break free and become like her. The entities that gave these humans their powers had no way of knowing what they had done. In mere minutes or hours, that power would...

Her head whipped around when she felt it. That inexplicable ability to just... know, when one like her was around.

It was time to find them.

* * *

Taylor had no idea how long she was in there, that metallic storage that those witches turned into a torture device.

Minuets? Hours? Probably not days, somebody would have noticed by then.

But that still didn’t change the fact that she **was** there, had no way out, and toxic waste strewed around her feet.

Tears fell down her face. Was it too much to ask to just go about her day without continues torture? Maybe it was. Maybe the world just hated her a little bit more than everybody else.

Taylor began to feel tired. Not the kind as if you were sleepy, but just beginning to give up. She wasn’t getting out of here. She wasn’t going to get a nice life, it was doomed to miserable. She would have to put up with this shitty school, in this shitty city, on this shitty planet, forever.

Slowly closing her eyes, she wondered it would be like if things were different.

And with that Taylor Hebert was, by official standards, dead.

* * *

Following the lingering trail of power, she pulled her cruiser motorcycle up outside a school. Removing her riding goggles, her lime green eyes searched the outside of the building, the words ‘Winslow High School’ imprinted on a sign out the front.

“They’re definitely here...” The woman said to herself. Leaving her helmet and goggles on the motorcycle, she made her way inside the school. Minutes went by and the trail was slowly thinning, which either meant she was running out of time, or she was close. If she didn’t get to this new Ashen in time and stabilize them, they’d go inter-dimensionally subatomic.

Never a good thing if you liked existing.

A smell to her right caught her attention. Fuck it smelt awful. She grabbed her nose in disgust and tried to find the perpetrating scent. It led her all the way to one of the student’s lockers.

Wait! She could feel them!

Without sparing a second, she dug her hand into the relatively thin metal and ripped the door off the hinges. Out from the locker came spilling used toilet paper and tampons, enough to make anyone physically gag. But along with those, came a young girl, 14 to 16 in age, brown curly hair, glasses, and a rather plain face. Or what was left of it, the reignition was beginning and slowly melting her face off.

Not hesitating, she knelt down and began pushing her own power into the girl. The girl’s body began convulsing as if being electrocuted, limbs spasming aimlessly. A bright light erupted from her mouth and eyes, showing her that it was working, and she was stabilizing the girl. Drawing her arm away, the girl’s features had reformed back to their original, plain, face. She shook her head in dismay as she looked intently at the teen.

“I am so sorry this had to happen to you.”

* * *

The sound of a roaring motorcycle engine stirred Taylor back into the realm of conciseness. Hey, eyes fluttered open to see flashes of road go by under the illuminating streetlamps. There were arms reaching around her shoulders, a helmet on her head and something tied around her waist. The wind lashed at her face, and without her glasses on she had to squint.

When Taylor fully came to, she involuntarily jolted in shock. The bike swerved to the side for a moment, the person driving obviously surprised by her sudden awakening.

“Whoa there, Kid!” The driver yelled over the wind. “Careful now! We’re on a moving vehicle here!”

“W-who are you?! What’s going on?!” Taylor looked back to see a woman in a green motorcycle helmet and forest-green parker.

“Name’s Valka, Kid!” The woman replied, “As for what’s happening? Well, let’s just say you’re really special and that I don’t want you covered in toxic waste while I explain why!”

Taylor, unable to think of a follow-up question, stayed silent as Valka turned off the road and into an empty car park. The mysterious woman pulled up and dismounted the bike, seemingly untying a short rope that was around her to stop Taylor from falling off.

She motioned for Taylor to do the same, taking off her helmet to reveal a smooth-skinned pale face and shiny raven hair.

“C’mon,” Valka said to Taylor, who was still frozen on the bike. “You want answers, so let’s go.”

Taylor scrambled to take off her helmet and dismount the bike to follow the woman into the desolate parking lot as she drew a cigarette.

“So, let’s take this from the top,” Valka began, flipping open a lighter, “My name is Valka, and you died.”

“I-I died?!” Taylor gawked, being completely caught off-guard.

“Only technically.” Valka waved it off. “But the reason you’re not so dead is also the reason why I’m here. You, Taylor Hebert, have contracted something called Lazarus Syndrome.”

“What’s that?” Taylor asked, ignoring the fact that this woman knew her name.

“Named after the man Jesus revived in the new testament, Lazarus syndrome in its base form will allow those who have contracted it to come back from death,” Valka told Taylor. “Beyond that, there are a few sub-categories.”

“So, I’m a parahuman?”

Valka threw her head back and laughed. “Not even close. Those Capes, as you lot call them, get their superpowers from some sort of parasite/symbiote. People with Lazerus syndrome are pretty much infected with a trans-dimensional bacterium called malaise, which completely re-write a person’s DNA. You’re not even remotely human anymore apart from appearance.” Valka blew out a long line of smoke from her cigarette. “There are downsides, of course. For starts, if I hadn’t stabilized your first reignition, that’s what coming back’s called btw, you would have caused a singularity that would crash this reality.”

“W-what?!” Taylor’s eyes bulged.

“Cool it, kid, I got to you in time and we still exist so it’s fine.”

“I-is this real?” Taylor asked, freaking out, “It feels like I’m still in that locker and this is all a fever dream. Or that I’m dead and this is some fucked up punishment from hell.”

“Look kid, I’m trying to tell you this as straight as I can, be glad you didn’t get Rouge, she’d try to explain the logistics of inter-dimensional travel.” Valka tossed her finished cigarette into the bin before turning to Taylor’s 10-yard stare. “Aw shit, I made it worse.”

“Y-y-you’re not from this world?!” Taylor exclaimed.

“No, I’m from this world.” Valka corrected, giving Taylor some well-needed relief. “Just not this version of it.”

That did it for Taylor, she felt like she was going to faint, only to stumble around wildly.

“Whoops. Hang on there kid, your body isn’t exactly used to this yet. It’s trying to turn off your brain due to low blood pressure, but your brain is still functional without it, so now its caught in a loop.” Valka guided Taylor back to her bike, getting her to lean on it before doing so herself.

“I know I’m dumping a lot of stuff on you all at once, but you need to know what’s going on before you do something you don’t want to happen.” Valka put an arm around Taylor and rubbed her arm. “How about you ask a question now?”

Taylor took a few deep breaths before speaking again. “Do think I could be a hero?”

Valka looked away from the teen and up to the dark night sky, few stares showing due to the city’s light pollution. “I can’t say. I guess it depends on your definition of a hero. Is it a job they have, or is it the deeds one does that earns them the title of ‘hero’ or ‘villain’?” She looked back to Taylor. “But if you put the effort in, I believe you can make a good difference.”

Taylor nodded; mentally digesting what Valka had said. The two stayed like that for another minute of two before Valka pushed away from the bike.

“Tell you what kid. I’ll give you a lift home, then come back tomorrow to give you a bit less of a crash course. What’cha say?”

“Okay, sure.” Taylor agreed. Her response was having a helmet and goggles thrown at her which she quickly caught. She sat behind Valka as she revved the engine.

It was at this point that Taylor froze in realization.

She would have to explain this to her dad.

Shit.


	2. Kindling 1:2

_“We’ve now become the spectators of our own mutation._

_We may not die human anymore._

_But what makes us human?”_

_― Natasha Tsakos_

* * *

The explanation to her father had gone... not as badly, as she had thought. It was still hot garbage of a conversation, but at least Valka had stuck around to explain the difficult bits. In the end, Danny Hebert was relieved, to say the most, that his daughter would be ‘safe’, using the loosest possible application of the word possible. If nothing else, Taylor was glad that she was beginning to see a bit of her old father back, the one before her mother died.

Taylor had told him about the bullying. He was, of course, angry that it had happened, and practically vowed vengeance on those who wronged her, but she was glad she told him. What she wasn’t glad about was how she told him about it with Valka still in the room. The waves of murderous intent rolled off her like a tsunami.

Speaking of Valka, she and her father had gotten on quite well. Now that Taylor had contracted Lazarus syndrome, which Valka had explained, Valka saw it as her duty to tutor and protect Taylor, something her father respected profusely.

Finally being able to flop down into her bead, the rest of the night shot by as Taylor drifted off to the land of dreams. As sunlight shone through the curtains and hit Taylor’s face she begrudgingly woke up to start the next day. Stretching her arms as she yawned, Taylor moved to the bathroom to have a shower. Body washed and hair done, Taylor went down the stairs for breakfast.

To find Valka already in the kitchen cooking, as well as talking to her father. Noticing her, her father turned to greet her.

“Taylor, how are you feeling?” He asked, in a way that partially unnerved Taylor.

“Uhhh... fine?” Taylor replied in a way that sounded more as a question than answer. “What are you doing here Valka?”

“Well, I did say that I’d be training you,” Valka answered as she put a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of Taylor.

“But, I...” Taylor trailed off, realizing what she was about to say. She really didn’t want to say it, that way it may not be true.

“Need to go to school?” Her father finished, causing Taylor to wince and making a bad feeling in her gut. But that feeling soon turned to shock from what he said next. “No. Never again, or, at least, not at Winslow.” He sighed. “Taylor, I’m still sorry about neglecting you, and how you’ve been handling this...”

“I know, you said this a lot last night,” Taylor interrupted.

“...But I think I should have seen this happening, I’m a horrible father. But I want to begin to make it up to you, and the best first step is to get you out of that pit to hell they call a school.”

“But where am I going to go? Acadia?” Taylor asked with a dry chuckle, looking to her father for his reaction. She balked when her father gave a completely straight face. “Dad! We can’t afford Acadia!”

“Actually, you don’t have to.” Valka cut in. Taylor turned her head to face her. “I have more than enough money, and nowhere else to spend it. I’d be more than happy to fund your _proper_ education.” Valka nodded. “I’ve always believed learning is important.”

Taylor just sat there with her mouth hanging open. With all the concentration she could muster, she turned to look at her father, who nodded his head in agreement with Valka.

“It’s what Valka and I have been talking about all morning.” Her father said. “The only problem we’ve run into is how we’re going to pay for it _without_ raising any suspicions.”

“I have no proper identification on this Earth, so I can’t pay for it directly. I could give the money to your father, but certain people may just wonder where he got it from, however, right now it seems to be the best option.” Valka stepped around the bench and sat next to Taylor. “Taylor, I may have not known you for more than a day, but I can tell you’re a good person. And a strong one too, I mean, look how well you’re taking this whole ‘you’re immortal’ thing. What I’m trying to say here is I felt for you last night when you spoke about those girls. Nobody deserves such treatment. And you,” Valka put a hand on Taylor’s shoulder, “You deserve far better. So please, just stop worrying and accept this. It’s the very least that you’re owed.”

Taylor swallowed the large lump that formed in her mouth and gave a weak nod. Valka gave a sad smile back before going back to standing. Being too shock earlier, Taylor finally took in Valka’s stature.

Being previously obscured by her long parker the night before, the new absence of it allowed for a full view of the woman’s muscles. Well-built arms sprouted out of her torso like tree trunks, and for the rest of her body, the parker hadn’t been hiding much. She was slim, and in Taylor’s opinion, very well built, so much so the teen began to drool a little.

Taylor caught herself and slapped her cheeks as to snap herself back into reality.

“Now,” Valka’s voice drifted to her ears, “Eat up, we’re going to be training all day and whilst you don’t _technically_ need food anymore, your body won’t be able to responsibly handle the sudden change.”

Taylor obeyed, beginning to shovel the eggs into her hungry mouth.

* * *

Back on the seat of Valka’s cruiser motorcycle, Taylor held onto Valka’s shoulders as they sped down the streets to the docks, more specifically the ship graveyard. Being a pretty barren location that nobody really cared if some new cape would go around destroying things testing their powers.

Valka pulled up outside and lead the way through the broken gate that was left to hang open, inviting just about anybody inside. Taylor had never had a reason to come here before, and now that she was here, she could see why she didn’t

It was a dump in all senses of the word. Rusty metal scraps, decaying boats, broken concrete, it was all there.

Valka kept leading Taylor deeper into the yard, eventually hopping on top of a beached ship.

“Okay,” Valka finally said, stopping, “First thing you need to know about Lazarus syndrome, immortality is only the tip of the iceberg that is us.” Valka, from the bag she had brought with them, drew a sword, causing Taylor to take a step back. “Right now, your body is in overdrive trying to get everything in the right place. While that will slow down as time goes on, it won’t ever stop. Luckily for us, that makes it the perfect breeding ground for mutations.”

“Mutations?” Taylor questioned.

“Yep. Your body, in this stat, will mutate to adapt to certain situations. Every time you die, your body will change a bit. You may get wings, or the power to run at the speed of sound, it all depends on how you died, and what you did before dying.” Valka continued to explain. “But first things first, you won’t be getting any powers unless you can activate your new combat cells, like so:”

Valka’s hair began glowing brightly until it began turning into flames. The colour shifted to a sickly green as the fire began to consume more of Valka’s head. Completely encompassing her head, it began burning away the skin until a black skull remained.

“This,” The skull’s jaw moved to reveal Valka’s voice. “Is what we call a combat form. What it actually is pumping up our malaise glands which will make our bodies more subjectable to mutations. While you’ll be always able to use new powers you accumulate, doing this will increase their effectiveness threefold, as well as let you get new ones next time you come back to life.” Valka motioned to Taylor. “Well, have at it. We can’t move on until you get into it.”

Taylor gaped. “B-b-but how?! I don’t know how you can do... THAT!” She pointed at Valka’s head that was now a disconnected skull surrounded by green fire.

“Well, I have two ideas of how to put you in this state,” Valka answered, cupping her skull’s chin as the fire refused to burn her skin or clothes. “First, is that you recall how you felt when you first reignited.”

“But I was unconscious,” Taylor reminded. Valka nodded.

“True, I guess that leaves us with option two.” Valka picked up the sword again.

“And that is...?” Taylor asked, predicting she wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Cause you to reignite,” Valka answered, closing the distance between them in a fraction of a second and shoving the sword through Taylor’s chest in the same movement.

Taylor gasped for air at the same time she spat up blood, coughing violently. A few seconds later, she was dead.

* * *

Taylor sat in darkness, felt nothing, and saw nothing.

Darkness. Darkness to sight. Darkness to touch. But there was a light.

A light shining brighter, and hotter.

It was drawing closer...

* * *

Taylor sprang up and gasped, something feeling different. There was a slow clapping to the side, indicating Valka’s location.

“All right, not too shabby for your second time.” Valka drawled. Taylor pushed herself to her feet and glared at Valka sitting on the edge of the boat. Valka laughed. “I think you’re angry with me, but I honestly can’t tell. Here,” Valka tossed a mirror, “Take a look at yourself.”

Taylor did, and almost dropped the mirror. Just like Valka, her head was a swirl of burning flames, a skull suspended in the centre. The only differences being that her colour was a bright citrus orange, and her skull had no jaw.

“Hey there.” Valka put a hand on Taylor’s shoulder, shocking her back into reality. “This is okay, this is you now.”

Taylor calmed her breathing, breathing? She wasn’t really breathing at all... regardless she began to calm down and accept things.

“This... is not how I’d think things would go...” Taylor chuckled dryly, “I’d thought if I ever go powers, I’d make a costume and start cleaning up the city.”

Valka chuckled as well, with more amusement than irony. “At least you have ambition, and spirit. I’ve known lesser willed people than you before. You’re doing great.” Valka then clapped her hands together. “Now! This is your Burner From, it heightens your powers, and allows you to adapt new ones for the next time you die. This will be your default form every time you die, but you’ll get in the habit of activating it without having to be killed.”

Valka moved to the centre of the ship and motioned for Taylor to do the same.

“But for now, that’s how we’ll start off your training. As for the training itself, I’ll be giving you lessons in both hand-to-hand combat and swordplay. You’ll be able to build up some enhanced reflexes due to my own ones, but until you can activate your Burner Form by yourself, we won’t be moving on to other powers.”

Taylor nodded and approached Valka.

“Okay, the first thing we’ll work on is your stance...”


	3. Kindling 1:3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I just had a brain flash of an amazing idea for this story down the line.
> 
> Also; changing the chapter titles.
> 
> Also, also; had trouble making up a training chapter, so this won't be that big. Enjoy anyway.
> 
> I order you to.

_Sometimes… the world expects you to act, but in their own standards._

_Act the same way, learn the same way, produce what benefits them only._

_Difference scares them._

_Mindlessly following a path of self-destruction, rather than self-exploration._

_How boring._

_Let's show them what scares them._

_Difference._

-The G-man-

**\- - - - - Lazarus - - - - -**

Taylor rolled left as Valka's greatsword 'thunked' into the metal floor of the beached ship. Taylor attempted to swing her own sword at her new teacher, with far less grace than her mentor had done. As punishment for such a telegraphed attack, Valka flipped over the sword, using her own as a pivot point. Next, the far older woman swung around and planted both booted feet into Taylor's chest with force, sending her crashing into a wall.

When Taylor had regained her bearings, she saw that Valka had wedged her own sword out of the ground and was now stalking over to Taylor's prone form.

"C'mon, get up," Valka ordered. "You won't learn anything laying down there."

Taylor obliged, using her sword to assist with her getting up. But once she was up, Valka wasted no time attempting to run her through. Dodging and parrying, she had worked up some skills in it the day before when Valka was training her in hand-to-hand.

To say the least, Taylor was surprised to have learned several forms of martial arts in a single day.

"You are doing well, Taylor." Valka complemented. "Now dodge left,"

Taylor did as she was told.

And dodge right into Valka's swinging blade, rending her upper from her lower.

Darkness.

Light.

Movement

Warmth

Whiteness.

Taylor shot up with cough as she felt the crackling energy leave her body that revived her.

"Need to work on your focus, Taylor. Why on this Earth would you listen to me tell you to dive _into_ my sword?" Valka asked, giving her a hand up.

"I thought you were giving me advice," Taylor answered, rubbing her throbbing, fiery skull.

"And I might of. You need to be the one to figure out if its actually advice or me just trying to trip you up." Valka leaned forward on her sword.

Taylor groaned, making Valka chuckle.

Taylor really didn't want to keep duelling Valka. But she could feel her body getting _better_.

**\- - - - - Lazarus - - - - -**

"Taylor! You're falling behind!" Valka called back to her protégé.

"I'm *huff* trying!" Taylor called back, almost ready to collapse. Taylor had taken up running shortly after she had begun to be bullied, running a few km each morning.

But this? What Valka was putting her through?

P A I N.

Just, pain.

They had been running around the abandoned trainyard, covering its entirety multiple times, for the past SEVEN HOURS WITHOUT STOPPING. Not even for water. At least four hours into the run, Taylor had begun to gather strange looks from people passing by, sweating from places that even _she_ didn't know she could sweat from.

"Okay," Valka spoke up, beginning to slow, "Think it's time to take a quick break."

"Oh thank any god that is out there!" Taylor said as she literally collapsed on the grainy dirt. "I'd have started praying to the Endbringers soon if it meant resting.

"Hmm." Valka hummed as Taylor could see her reaching for something out of the corner of her eye.

"Valka." She asked.

"Yes, Taylor?" She responded.

"What are you doing." She stated, not asked.

"Why nothing." She returned innocently. A little _too_ innocently.

"Valka, I know yo..." Taylor just had enough time to engage her fire and try to roll away before the steel pole splattered through her skull.

Darkness.

Light.

Movement

Warmth

Whiteness

"Had a nice break?" Valka asked as Taylor picked herself up.

"Fuck you," Taylor replied.

"That's fair." Valka shrugged.

I hindsight, Taylor really should have seen this coming. Oh, how she hated Valka whenever she did something like this.

And yet, she could feel her body getting _faster_.

**\- - - - - Lazarus - - - - -**

Taylor grunted as she lifted the weights up and away from her body. It was easier to call it a 'weights' rather than a 'collection of heavy objects Valka continued to pile on top of her in attempts to make her stronger', because that was just a mouthful.

"Ready for another?" Valka asked from Taylor's left.

"Do I get a choice?" Taylor asked, flashing a cocky smile.

"Nope," Valka answered, returning her smile with a smirk of her own. Then, Valka ripped off a piece of a ship, crumpled it into a kind-of cube, and tossed it on top of the rest of the ones Taylor was lifting.

Taylor's arms wobbled, and her eyes would have widened if she had any at the moment.

'Uh-oh.' Taylor thought.

Then her arms gave out.

Darkness.

Light.

Movement

Warmth

Whiteness

Taylor groaned as she came to. It was still annoying having to pick herself up whenever she revived.

"How much was I on?" Taylor asked Valka.

"Tad over three tonnes," Valka informed her. "I was counting." She added to Taylor's sceptical gaze.

Taylor had gotten used to Valka's training methods, and yet, they still annoyed the heck out of the young Lazarinthian.

And yet, she could feel her body getting _stronger_.

**\- - - - - Lazarus - - - - -**

"So, have you been thinking on your costume, T?" Valka asked as she flopped down on the couch next to Taylor.

"A little, yes," Taylor admitted.

"Well? Let's hear what you got!" Valka prompted with one of her trademark endearing smiles. Taylor's own face light up as a response. She quickly dashed off before returning with a few sheets of paper, each with various sketches on it.

"So I had this idea with the material to use this thing called NCT, which will not destroy the fabric when I die to things like gunfire and stabbing," Taylor explained, showing Valka a specific sheet.

"Is it available in a heat resistant material?" Valka asked, pointing out one of the more likely ways for her to die as a hero in Brockton Bay.

"Hmm, probably?" Taylor shrugged. "I was more hung up on the detail of dying whilst not ruining my costume."

"And what about this?" Valka plucked one of the papers, causing Taylor's eyes to widen a bit, realizing she hadn't meant to bring that one down. She quickly tried to nab it from the older woman's fingers to little avail as Valka pulled it away and pushed Taylor away with a hand to the face. "So, a firefighter outfit? What gave you this idea?"

Taylor felt her face heat up under Valka's fingers.

"I, just, uh..." Taylor stammered for a reply that didn't embarrass herself. "It was something that I dreamt of..."

Taylor felt Valka's hand become ridged before releasing her poor face. "We'll use this one then."

"Wh-what?!" Taylor exclaimed, surprised.

"You dreamt of it; it must mean something. My own outfit came to me in a dream, too." Valka clarified.

"Really?" Taylor asked.

Valka nodded. "It was actually similar to the outfit a good friend of mine once wore. Blutz 'n' Vega." Valka shook her head. "Anyway, doesn't matter. What does, is that the subconscious is a very powerful thing, and if your dream was compelling enough to make you record this design, then it means something." Valka gave Taylor a pointed look, "Remember Taylor, you aren't human anymore."

Taylor nodded, feeling a little wired hearing those words.

She didn't think she'd _ever_ get used to not being human.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry about how bad it is, it'll get better.


End file.
